Star Wars Skewed Universe: The Rise of the Fallen

The party had barely escaped the cleaver trap laid for them by Inquisitor Syphem, only to do something incredibly more foolish. Fly into the heart of the enemy strong hold, the The Juggernaut. After contacting Syphem and agreeing to deliever the Twins to him, they were brought into one of the Juggernaut’s hanger bay.

Once inside, Vexx opened fire with the Tempest’s quad cannons and fired a concussion missile into the hanger control room, releasing the Imperial hold on the Tempest. Using the confusion to their advantage, the party launched a two prong attack/rescue mission. Antaris) and one of Neris’s IG-100 bodyguards would head to the prison block to rescue Antari’s family, Rav, Calista, and any other members of the captured Blood Cross aboard.

The rest of the party (minus Neris, who stayed behind wanting no part of the “suicide mission,” and sent her two droids in her place) would head to engineer to cause as much trouble as they could. After fighting their way to the engineering deck, they set explosive charges throughout the engine room, damaging a significant portion of the ship’s reactor systems and knocking out power throughout the ship.

Antrais sneaked his way to the detention block. He successfully rescued Rav and his family through some thrilling heroics and escaped via an appropriated Lambda class shuttle. Meanwhile, the party headed back to the Tempest while Neer headed to the confront Syphem on his observation deck.

Neer attempted to get the drop on Syphem by packing the twins into blocks of C-12 and throwing them into the room. The Inquisitor managed to avoid the resulting explosion and engaged Neer. Without the power of the Twins, Neer was no match for the experienced Inquisitor and was swiftly cut down.

The rest of the party waited aboard the Tempest for Neer to return. When he didn’t, they left the hanger bay and took advantage of the Juggernaut’s lack of shields to leave Syphem a parting gift he wouldn’t forget: a magazine’s worth of concussion missiles into the bridge of ship.

With knowledge of the Tempest’s location in hand, the party set about gathering information on the Red Krayte Dragons strong hold. The compound was located on the edge of Mos Eisely. The Kryate Dragons (RKD), thanks to the backing of Boma the Hutt, enjoyed significant control of Mos Eisely. Knowing that they could be significantly outnumbered, the heroes gather some information.

Neris Mikata investigates one of smaller shipping operations at the spaceport after noticing that space traffic into and out of Mos Eisely seemed lighter than she imagined for a city of this size. After talking to a grizzly rodain dock Forman, she learned that many of the spacers were choosing to sit tight planet side due to the Imperial Star Destroyer in orbit. No one knows why they’re here, but stormtroopers have been spotted in the city. She then headed towards sales row, visit ship dealers to see if she spotted the Temepst. Fortunately she didn’t.

Mace and Myla took there investigations undercover in the RKD territory. They eventually found themselves in the Dragon’s Den, RKD cantina. Even though they were doing their best to keep a low profile, it wasn’t long before they attracted RKD attention. Just after ordering his getting his second drink, Mace notice two guys at the bar starring at him and motioning his way. He took that as a que to leave. Before he could get out the bar, they approached. The larger of two asked Mace if was the Raging Gundark Champion. Upon revealing that he was, the manage became ecstatic, introduced himself as Relos. He proceeded to talk to the Champ for the for next hour, pulling more of his friends into the conversation as he went. Soon, there were four RKD at the same table as Mace. Myla, who was busy flirting with someone at the bar finally noticed Mace’s situation and joined him.

Mace had been using Relos’s the “fan-boy” admiration of him to get information and learned that he was in process of junking some kind of YT-ugly they had acquired. Believing that the ship was the Tempest, Mace sent a message to his friends, who were across town, telling them to meet at this location. Things in the bar quickly got out of hand, when Rolo, a zabreck RKD who had been listening to conversation at the table with increasing frustration stood up, downed his drink and slammed it onto the table, breaking the glass. When Myla protested, he knocked her back off of the chair and turned to face Mace. Rolo had just issued a personal challenge to the Raging Gundark Champion when, Myla jumped up behind him, and burred her vibroblade several times into his back. Rolo hit the floor. Fan-boy was stunned by the action. His friend, who had followed him to the table, named Chyle, drew a blaster and stunned Myla. He was going to take her back to their base .

This was about the time rest of the party arrived, sans Neris who was still ship shopping. Antaris, posing as a bounty hunter, tried unsuccessfully to claim Myla as his bounty. Following some failed grenade diplomacy, a fight erupted, with the party victoriously defeating the RKDs in the cantina. Mace used his medical knowledge to save the life of Rolo. He carried him out of the bar during the fire fight, hoping to save something of the good will he had garnered in the RKD. After the fight, the party took Rolo to a rented storage space, where they intended to procure his help. After a brief interrogation, he called his friends to come pick him up. Mace knocked him unconscious and left him in the crate.

With time running out to save the Tempest, the decision was made to enter the RKD stronghold. Myla and Nerus disguised themselves as RKD and sneak in under the premises that they were “looking for Rolos.” The rest of the party followed a minutes behind them. The doors to the barracks and the mess were locked from the outside to prevent RKD from exiting. On the sublevel, they found jail cells. Waiting for them was an ambush, with several stormtroopers, battle droids and Inquisitor Syphem. Locked in the holding cells behind them were Calista Amell and their wookie friend. At the conclusions of the epic battle, Syphem had fled, unsuccessful in recovering the Blood Cross from Neer Kento. Calista revealed the Allum and Kala had been sold; their whereabouts unknown. They made their way up to the hanger and recovered the Tempest. As they exited the hanger, the The Juggernaut begun to rain turbolaser fire down onto the city of Mos Eisley.

After surviving the assault by the tuskin raider scouts, the group decided to head up to B’omarr temple a little earlier then planned. They were greeted at the door by a blind man, sitting on a rock next to the door, who questioned they had sought out the Bo-Marr. After a few minutes of conversation, they entered the temple. After being greeted by one the monks, they were taken to dinner for a conversation with the temple elders.

The elders eventually revealed themselves as Jedi. General Obi-wan Kenobi had come to Tatooine after the rise of the Empire. He brought his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker and his wife Padme, and their two children, Leia and Luke. Over time they were joined at the temple by numerous other Jedi and their own apprentices. Obi-wan knew of the Jedi Enclave that had formed on Ossus, but wise chose to stand apart to protect their numbers. Here they could hide from the Empire. A year ago they ran into a woman named Bavi, one of the Philospher’s Lieutenants, and took the Philospher’s stone. They believe it to be some type of meditation crystal, a force sink. Ever since then they have used it to conceal themselves from the empire and rebuild their order. Once they were ready, they would challenge the empire to take back the Republic.

After a brief conversation with Master Kenobi, Vexx received an emergency transmission from Calista aboard The Tempest. They were under attacked. The party raced to the ship’s location but there was no sight of their ship when they arrived. It had been stolen. Unbeknownst to the heroes, The Juggernaut entered orbit above them on Tatooine and dispatched four drop ships down to the planet, Syphem had found the location of the Philosopher’s Stone, and was looking to collect.

Having no where else to go, the party returned to the B’omarr Temple to see it surrounded by four LAAT/8 gunships, parked on the ground outside the temple, with troops troops likely already inside. Knowing that they had to do something to help, the party sprang into action and made their way down to the garage at the bottom of the temple, where two of the ships had landed. Thanks to Droidika’s heavy weaponry, they made short work of the ship’s crews, damaging the ship controls in the processes.

They were there were two other ships up at the other entrance, so the decision was made to use the ship’s mass driver missiles to destroy the other ships, removing one of the edges their troops had. Unfortunately the ship’s targeting system, and the safety interlocks which prevented the missiles warheads from arming until they were of the ship had been damaged. The command given to fire all missiles in the ship’s magazine. The missiles left the launcher fully armed. Due to the damage to the targeting and guidance system, there was not enough room for the missiles to climb out of the small cannon. They slammed into the palace, doing an incredible amount of damage. The shockwave, tossed their ship into the air, nearly killing the party.

When the dust settled, a majority of the crew was injured. The other imperial gun ships had been destroyed, along with massive section of the palace. Naris and Neer, who had evade most injury climbed up into the palace to search for survivors. They found the body of the one of the Jedi. There was no sign of the others. They also found a hutt named Jabba who had been trapped in what had once been his Rancor pit. Apparently Jabba had been the owner of this palace when Obi-wan and company arrived. They came their friend seeking his aid in hiding them. Jabba, sensing an opportunity for profit as the Empire’s bounty on Jedi was substance, agreed to take them in. Obi-wan learned of his pending betrayal before Jabba could alert the empire. They took the palace for themselves, and locked in him the rancor pit. He’d been there for the past four years. Naris and Neer got him out the pit, rescuing him, and gaining a contact in the process.

Unknown to the party, the explosion had destroyed the Great Room of the Enlightened, the temple in which all of the b’omarr elders lived, erraticating much of their order.

The session opens with the crew at Rav‘s Shadowport,a massive ship built from the wreckage of a Venator-Class Star Destroyer, known as the Kestrel. The Mynock Hunter, now far superior to its original state, has been returned to Rav. It is a day of celebration in Rav’s Court. His birthday. During the celebration, Zo’Del approaches Rav and declares that he would like to issue a challenge of the Bloodly Cross to Vexx for destruction of Slithering Fury and the murder of his crew members. Rav, displeased by the displeased by the serious charges against his cousin reviews the evidence of Zo’Del charge. Once he was satisfied, he bellowed,

“Bring forth the Blood Cross!”

Calista, his personal Assistant, brings out an intricately caved box containing two bone daggers, stained red with blood. The blades, known as the Bloody Cross, were used to settle matters of blood with the Blood Cross, and were the reason that every member of the Blood Cross wears crossed bones tattoos. Prior to combat, each removed their armor and present their wrists which are bound together.

Other crew members off their support, including Antaris, who through a bit of trickery distracts Zo’Del, giving Vexx the opening he needs to plunge his dagger into Zo’Del’s heart. When the blade found its mark, there was a small flash in Zo’Del’s eyes. At the time Vexx thought it must have been the way that the light caught eyes of his former rival. As Zo’Del’s lifeless body hit the floor, Rav declared Vexx the fair and clear victor, and that all charges against him would be dismissed. It looked as if the celebration would continue except, the Empire had other ideas.

A strike force consisting led by the Juggernaut leapt into local space around the station. One star destroyer and nine support craft of various sizes had arrived to rain on Rav’s parade. Before they could react, the massive station was rocking with turbolaser fire. TIE fighters poured from their racks in the belly of the massive star destroyer. It was clear that they were in for one hell of a fight.

Wasting no time, Rav begun issuing orders to defend his station, their home. Neer, who had felt power come from blades of the Bloody Cross, used the confusion of the battle to swipe the box containing the blades, though not without notice from several members of party who suggested that he not take them. Our heroes quickly departed for their new ship, the Tempest. Since they weren’t expecting trouble, most of the party had left their weapons aboard the ship and were unarmed. When the intruder alert klaxon sounded, they stopped by a weapons locker. After grabbing a few blasters and power cells, they were about to continue on towards the Tempest when Rav, Calista, and a few member of the station guard carrying heavy weapons ran by them. The rest of the party was quick to follow them.

The soon found out where they were going; Deck 8, the site of the boarding intrusion. Blaster fire filled the air. It looked as if the Blood Cross was going to hold its own until a cloaked figure entered the corridor through the breach. A snap-hiss announced the presence of his a red lightsaber. The cloaked figure gestured towards them and a massive wave of energy pushed the gathered crowd back. Rav, held his ground. He reached up and ripped the amulet he always wore from his neck. After tossing it to Vexx, he yelled for them to run and hammered the switch to seal the emergency bulkhead, trapping himself in the corridor with the cloaked figure.

Having no choice but to obey his command, our heroes made for the Tempest. As they undocked from the Kestrel, it was clear that they were in a loosing battle. Blood Cross ships all around them were being disabled or destroyed. Calista, who had been forced from Rav’s side and accompanied the crew to the Tempest, tried to raise other ships in the area to coordinate a meet up point, but the Juggernaut was jamming their signals. Knowing that they had no chance of winning this fight, they jumped to hyperspace, going to ground at Pico the Crazy’s shadowport in sector S-11 near the Maw.

During their trip, Neer studied the Blood Cross. He determined that they are some type of dark artifact used to store life energy of people that they are used to kill. Believing them to be of Sith origin, he decided to keep them for further study, and affectionately names them “The Twins”.

Upon arriving at Pico’s they were invited to his office. He was shocked to hear of the loss of Rav and the assault on his port. They tried to think how the Empire could have found the location of the Kestral since she is always moving. They determined that someone must have leaked the information. Believing it to be a member of Rav’s court, they took stock of how was present. It was revealed that three members of Rav’s Circle, his chief advisers, were absent from the ceremony that day. An investigation accounted for the whereabouts of two of the missing members. Only Cedric Horner was unaccounted for.

Calista said she would use her assets to track down Horner. She would also find out which members of the family were still alive and continue operations of the Blood Cross from aboard the Tempest until Rav, was located, his death was confirmed, or a new base of operations had been discovered. She would be part of the crew for the time being. Believing that it was not a good idea to stay on Pico’s due to its proximity to the ambush of the Kestral, the Tempest departed the shadow port for the planet Ryn to see a “friend” of Nerus’ named Ackon, a Tintinnia whom Nerus has bailed out of tough financial straits awhile back. Just as they were jumping away, they were pretty sure they saw the Mynock Hunter arrive at Pico’s. Perhaps she had survived after all.

Though their stay on Rinn was short, they enjoyed the comforts of Ackon’s burrough. His mate was an excellent cook. It was the perfect place to recharge their batteries for a few day and take stock of the events that had just occurred. Antaris used the time to contact his bothan friend whom he had broken out jail a few months back. The friend, who was part of the famed Bothan Spynet, turned up some useful information.

They managed to decode a disk containing a transmission for one of their assets responsible for tracking the movement of The Juggernautt. The transmission was very garbled but they were able to make out a few words: Lord, Syphem, Rolan, Bo’marr There were also some imaged attached to the words. Attached to the word Rolan was image of a woman with pale skin and blue hair. She looked strangely similar to the woman that had been training Neer on Homme.

After doing some research, they founded that Bo’marr referred to an order of monks on Tattooine. Since this was their first solid lead, our heroes left Rinn and headed for Tattooine. They set down in the Junta waste land, several miles from the B’omarr Monastery. Using speeder bikes they traveled the short distance to the monastery. They decided to observe the monastery from a distance for the rest of the day and approach the facility at night.

While they waited, they were attacked by a group of sand people, intent on taking their lives and equipment. Fortunately, they weren’t much of a match for the seasoned space pirates.

New Friends and Lost Family

Upon arriving back at the The Mynock Hunter’s docking bay, they found their ship beset by Red Krayte Dragons goons. Instead of fighting to get their ship back, Neris Mikata contacts Nulla the Hutt who employs them and informs her that one of her gangs is blocking their path preventing them from returning to their ship and making money for Her Largeness. The Hutt was most displeased and sent some of his men to “deal” with the situation. They made quite a mess.

Prior to departing Nar Shaddaa, Neris decides to try and increase their profit from the trip by finding passengers heading to Corellia, the source of their spice delivery. She found a passenger named Antaris who was looking to go. While enroute to Corellia, Antaris asked the crew of the Mynock Hunter if they would be willing to help him smuggle his wife and daughter off planet. They agreed, for a price, which Antaris was willing to pay.

As they approached Corellia, Antaris contacted his brother Voltaire Volaris, a member of the Corellian Security Forces, who bribed the appropriate officials to get the Mynock Hunter past the customs check point and safe landing. When they arrived in space around Corellia, the Juggernautt was already in orbit above the planet. Once they set down, they were greeted by Voltaire and his partner, Dalia Solenfell. They made their way to the pickup point. Imperial troops were already there. After a short fight they rescued Antaris wife and daughter, Sara Volaris and Mira.

Unfortunately, their luck would not last. They managed to shake their initial wave of pursuers through some fancy flying and shooting, though Dalia was killed in the process. They decided to ditch the gunship and head out on speeder bikes. Just as they finished unloading the speeders, another gunship arrived and launched a mass driver missile, which destroyed their LAAT gunship, killing Voltaire who was still aboard. Sara panicked, grabbed Mira, and tore off on her speeder bike as another missile exploded nearby. The explosion caused Sara to loose control of the swoop as it was sent off-course into a nearby subway tunnel and exploded.

Heartbroken, Antaris vowed revenge for murder of wife and daughter, as they made their escape on the remaining swoops.

The first time out for the crew of the Mynock Hunter

The campaign opens on the smuggler moon of Nar Shaddaa. Our heroes are looking for work after successfully delivering a shipment from Corellia. Naris and Neer head to the bar to see if they can’t dig up some. Neris’s goal was to find a couple of people arguing about money, believing that she could insert herself into the argument and turn it to their advantage. She didn’t have to wait long before spotting a potential marks, a small chadrafan and a large human merc. The chadra-fan, named Squeek, was a recruiter for the Red Krayte Dragons, an up and coming criminal organization. Squeek appeared to be threatened by the merc, who was unknowingly a potential recruit for the gang.

Seeing this a good time to insert herself into the situation, Neria mentioned that they could do the job cheaper. The potential recruit took offense to this, and ended up in an altercation with Neris who shot him in the face after he made a lewd comment. Prior to shooting him, Neris had mentioned that she worked for Rav and was a member of the Bloodcross. Seeing that his potential inductee had just been iced by a rival gang member, Squeek took the opportunity to round up some pay back. He thanked Neris for her help and she gave Squeek the contact information for Vexx. With card in hand, Squeek headed find Vexx.

Vexx had just finished refueling the Mynock Hunter when Squeek arrived. The small chadra-fan offered a sum of 600 credits to pick up a package from Trans-galactic Freight and deliver it to him. After some petty negotiations, Vexx agreed. Neris and Neer returned to ship a little later with a second job in hand, this one was to smuggle spice for Nulla the Hutt to Corellia for 7,000 credits.

They party headed to the Trans-galactic Freight warehouse to pick up the package. On arrival they were brought to the package which was at a 4-way intersection of isles in the warehouse. It proved to be a trap as they were attacked by Squeek’s gang, 8 in total, using a variety of blasters and even a vibro-axe. Neer was forced draw his lightsaber, which announced his presence as some kind of jedi. The party was pretty roughed up in the battle, but Mila shone through, downing over half of the gang with some fancy trigger work. After mopping up the gangers, they licked their wounds and made for the Mynock Hunter. They had just announced themselves to the Red Krayte Dragons, who would certainly be looking for them.